Irvine : UCI in Consortium to Study Earthquakes

UC Irvine will participate in a study by a consortium of eight universities on reducing earthquake damage.

The study is funded by a $3.2-million grant from Kajima Corp. of Japan, one of the world’s leading engineering and construction firms.

The study involves engineering to reduce destruction to structures.

The grant agreement was signed last week in Tokyo, according to Robin Shepherd, UCI civil engineering professor who is vice president of California Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering.

“This cooperative program will be of immediate benefit to both the United States and Japan,” Shepherd said. “It will provide us an infusion of research funding for California universities and provide Kajima with a greatly expanded research base.”